Alum Rose Williams ’21 participated in various activities on campus throughout her college career including; a major in MCI (molecular, cellular, integrative) Biology, president of former sorority AST (Alpha Sigma Tau), Orientation Leader and Teacher’s Assistant. One of the most impactful things she participated in though, was study abroad.

“I studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark spring semester 2020 through the DIS program. I’ll never forget my time abroad- it was truly a highlight of my Beloit experience,” Williams said.

Rose being a STEM major, she wanted to expand that knowledge during her time abroad and after hard research and work, found the perfect fit in Denmark.

“As a Biology major who had interests in neuroscience I wanted to explore that field in my study abroad classes. Since Beloit is a small school it does not offer some of these more specific classes, I had a meeting with Kathy one afternoon at GEO to talk about what I wanted out of my study abroad experience. We covered several different options all of which sounded fun, but didn’t feel like the exact right fit. The more we talked Kathy had a realization of what program might be perfect for me- DIS Copenhagen. The benefits of this program was the amazing curriculum and built in travel experiences. I immediately decided that I needed to attend that program- now I just needed to apply,” Williams explained.

Unfortunately, her time in Copenhagen was cut short by the rise of COVID-19.

“After that first night of nerves I felt instantly at home in Copenhagen. I am not a city person but since the city is not dominated by cars I would find myself just exploring in my free time. I would love to buy a treat from a small pastry shop and then walk through a new park- just enjoying the clean brisk air and the beautiful flowers. My time abroad was cut short by COVID-19 but I made it home safely,” Williams said.

While her time was cut short, she did not let her time in Copenhagen go to waste. She continued to expand upon her studies and found her passion in clinical neuropsychology.

“In this DIS program, I was able to explore the field of neuroscience more than I would have been solely at Beloit. I took two classes that were on opposite ends of the neuroscience spectrum: clinical neuropsychology of brain injury and psychopharmacology: substances and the brain. I quickly noticed that I loved clinical neuropsychology,” Williams explained. “Clinical neuropsychology was the perfect path for me- a great mixture of biology, psychology research, and healthcare. I returned to Beloit my senior year and caught up on some psychology classes so I would be a good applicant to PhD programs when it came time. I am in the middle of those applications as we speak”.

Currently, Rose works in the field of scientific research where she continues to work with her knowledge from classes taken during study abroad.

“I am a clinical research technician at Labcorp in Madison Wi and I volunteer at a local retirement home every week as an activities assistant. At labcorp I ensure accurate collection of clinical trial data and communicate effectively with the research team if any deviations occur, transfer collected data into client databases and respond to quieres in a timely manner, and train new staff on proper protocols for all study producers. I am learning an incredible amount of clinical and research skills, from collecting the blood to processing it to entering the data for the sponsor to review it,” Williams explained.

Rose hopes to ultimately return to her study abroad site Copenhagen, Denmark.

“On my way home I was talking with a lady behind me in line to board the plane and telling her my story and she made me promise that I would return to Denmark again and that this is not where my Danish travels end. Fast forward to now, I am planning a return trip with my mother this next summer as a reward if I get into grad school,” Williams said.